"The Deen is Naseehah (Sincerity)"

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Month: August 2012

My wife called out to me while I was reading the newspaper, “Will you come here to make your darling daughter eat her food?’

I rushed to the scene. My only daughter Asma looked scared. In front of her was a bowl filled with porridge. Asma is a good, intelligent child, who just turned 8. She hated porridge but my wife believed otherwise.

“Asma darling, take a few mouthfuls of this porridge. Just for Dad’s sake. And if you don’t, Mom will shout at me.”

“OK.” With tears in her eyes, “I will eat – not just a few mouthfuls, but the whole lot. But..” She hesitated. “Dad, if I eat this entire porridge,will you give me whatever I ask for?”

“You promised Dad, you saw how difficult it was to eat that porridge.” She was in tears.

“Asma, your wish will be fulfilled.”

On Monday, I dropped her at school. She turned and waved with a smile. Just then, a little girl alighted from a car, and shouted,”Asma, please wait for me!” What struck me was the hairless head of the girl. Maybe, its in style, I thought.

“Sir, your daughter is great indeed!” Said a lady next to me. That girl is my daughter. She’s suffering from leukaemia, and lost all her hair due to chemotherapy. She refused to come back to school fearing the cruel but unintentional teasing of the children. Asma visited her last week, and promised that she will take care of the teasing. I never imagined she would sacrifice her lovely hair for the sake of my daughter! Sir, you are blessed to have such a noble soul as your daughter.” I stood still. And then, I wept.

If only as adults we could also be such loyal friends and love each other selflessly!

A doctor entered the hospital in hurry after being called in for an urgent surgery. He answered the call asap, changed his clothes & went directly to the surgery block. He found the boy’s father pacing in the hall waiting for the doctor. On seeing him, the dad yelled:

“Why did you take all this time to come? Don’t you know that my son’s life is in danger? Don’t you have any sense of responsibility?”

The doctor smiled & said:
“I am sorry, I wasn’t in the hospital & I came as fast as I could after receiving the call and now, I wish you’d calm down so that I can do my work”

“Calm down?! What if your son was in this room right now, would you calm down? If your own son dies now what will you do??” said the father angrily

The doctor smiled again & replied: “From dust we came & to dust we return, blessed be the name of God”. Doctors cannot prolong lives. Go & intercede for your son, we will do our best by God’s grace”

“Giving advises when we’re not concerned is so easy” Murmured the father.

The surgery took some hours after which the doctor went out happy,
“Thank goodness!, your son is saved!” And without waiting for the father’s reply he carried on his way running. “If you have any question, ask the nurse!!”

“Why is he so arrogant? He couldn’t wait some minutes so that I ask about my son’s state” Commented the father when seeing the nurse minutes after the doctor left.

The nurse answered, tears coming down her face: “His son died yesterday in a road accident, he was in the burial when we called him for your son’s surgery. And now that he saved your son’s life, he left running to finish his son’s burial.”

“Moral-Never judge anyone because you never know how their life is & what they’re going through”

Qur’an 49:12
O ye who believe! avoid suspicion as much (as possible):
for suspicion in some cases is a sin:
and spy not on each other nor speak ill of each other behind their backs.
Would any of you like to eat the flesh of his dead brother?
Nay ye would abhor it…but fear Allah:
for Allah is Oft-Returning Most Merciful..

We enrolled 30 days in a course called Ramadhaan to reach “Taqwah”(Fear of Allah Ta’ala). It was a time of renewal and re-establishment of our commitment to our Beloved ALLAH TA’ALA and HIS beautiful Deen-ul-Islaam. Al-Hamdulillah! Many have graduated with flying colours – embracing them with positive Deeni (Islamic)changes. Now is a crucial time to put it into practice!

Beloved Reader! We fasted, gave charity, read the Qur’aan Kareem and performed the night especially the last ten, standing in prayer before ALLAH TA’ALA. We avoided gossip, slander and every evil that would invalidate our fasting. But now that Ramadhaan has bid us farewell, many of us, regrettably, will put the Qur’aan Kareem back on the shelves, will suspend fasting until next year and will abandon the night prayer. This is not the way it should be, because all of these acts of worship carry rewards and are of benefit to us throughout the year, in addition to the fact there is no divine prescription limiting them to Ramadhaan.

What is it that happens in Ramadhaan to make you so motivated to change your life around and how can you get that spirit back to make long lasting, sustainable changes in your life? What is it that ALLAH TA’ALA puts into your life to enable you to make all those changes in Ramadhaan? If we could examine that, maybe we’ll find clues to work out how we can make the Ramadhaan spirit last for more than 30 days, so you can make major sustainable changes in your life!

RAMADHAAN CHANGES

1. Purpose

ALLAH TA’ALA TA’ALA give us an amazing purpose, a powerful reason for fasting, HE says it so beautifully:

“All the deeds of the son of Aadam (Alaihis Salaam) are for him: the good deeds will be multiplied ten times to seven hundred times, except fasting, which is for ME and I will reward it accordingly.” (Al-Bukhari and Muslim)

Al-Hamdulillah! He gives us all hope of His Reward for abandoning food, drink and intimacy for HIS Sake in Ramadhaan.

2. Long Term Vision

HE also gives us a long-term vision of what we will achieve if we follow HIS Orders and avoid the things that HE has forbidden – HE could grant us, according to our intentions, the highest place in Jannah.

3. Structure and Organization

HE gives us clear rules and a daily structure for Ramadhaan to give us a specific rhythm to the month – with a few exceptions and some flexibility such as a change in the pattern of the days for the last 10 nights – but there are definite targets that we have to fulfil throughout.

4. Challenging and Slightly Unrealistic Goals

The non-Muslims often look at what we do in Ramadhaan and say that we are being extreme, that we shouldn’t be as harsh on ourselves as we are. But we are able to rise above their criticism and not pay attention to what they say, because we know that ALLAH TA’ALA never asks us to do anything that would be harmful for us. We are convinced of the value and benefits of our fasting and Qiyaam and that enables us to stretch ourselves.

5. Balance

In Ramadhaan, it’s not only our bodies that are cleansed through fasting, our spirituality is also improved through increased Salaah and reading of the Qur’aan Kareem. Our finances are cleansed through Zakaah, our social relationships are improved through coming together for Iftaar, and our social contribution is increased through extra Sadaqah. The Ramadhaan spirit is developed through a balanced increase in every area of life, with each aspect having its own timing, amount, and purpose.

In welcoming Ramadhaan and bidding it farewell are some points of reflection for the Mu’mineen: Is there for us in fasting an abundance portion of effort to reform ourselves and mend our ways? Yes! It is indeed an excellent period of reflection if one ponders over the sincerity of his/her intention and appropriateness of his/her acts of worship during the blessed month.

Gentle and Discerning Reader! A whole new beautiful chapter in your life has opened – of peace, happiness, blessings and mercy with an elated feeling of spirituality, connecting with ALLAH TA’ALA and being immersed in HIS love, Subhaan-ALLAH. Fear ALLAH TA’ALA as HE should be feared for, the fear of ALLAH TA’ALA is the best treasure for you. Obey ALLAH TA’ALA and keep away from HIS restrictions, you will achieve HIS pleasure and be saved from HIS torment. On tasting the sweetness that comes with obedience, there is no desire to return to any form of disobedience.

A sinful desire is like a rose from afar, we get allured by its fragrance, become blinded by its beauty, and overlook the thorns.

Don’t allow Shaitaan to be an anchor and halt your spiritual journey. Raise the sails of Imaan to reach the beautiful shores of Jannah. Would you rather invest for short term returns, or would it be more sensible to invest for everlasting returns? Don’t let the chains of desire (naffs & shaitaan), bind us to Dunya whilst restraining our soul from pursuing Jannah. May ALLAH TA’ALA make our hearts the throne upon where our Imaan will sit, and let it rule over our Naffs before it tries to enslave us…

WAYS TO MAINTAIN THE GOOD HABITS YOU PICKED DURING RAMADHAAN:

►Make Du’a

It was ALLAH TA’ALA who gave you the ability to keep the good habit in Ramadhaan, and only HE can help you maintain it afterwards. Make Du’a that ALLAH TA’ALA helps you not only keep the habit, but that HE accepts it and makes it a way for you to grow in closeness to HIM.

►Make it a Habit

If you want to keep good habits, you’ve got to make sure they remain part of your daily schedule. For instance, fasting. Our beloved Messenger (Sallallaahu Alaihi Wa Sallam) encouraged fasting on Mondays and Thursdays? He said: “A man’s deeds are reported (to ALLAH TA’ALA) on Mondays and Thursdays and I prefer that I should be fasting when my deeds are reported.” (Tirmidhi)

►Evaluate yourself Weekly

This helps you see the bigger picture. You’ll be able to evaluate on a more long-term level how well you’ve been keeping your habit in practice. You can do the same thing on a monthly and yearly basis.

►Don’t fall apart once you make one Mistake

The beauty of Taubah (repentance) in Islaam, is that ALLAH TA’ALA blesses us with this opportunity to return back to HIM after doing something wrong. We should remember that we are humans and that we will err. Only ALLAH TA’ALA is Perfect.

►Ask yourself WHY you kept the habit

Niyyah or intention is a key to ALLAH TA’ALA’S acceptance of our good deeds. If we developed a habit to impress others, for instance, we may be able to keep the momentum for a while, but most probably it’ll wear out afterwards.

But if we maintained a habit sincerely for the sake of ALLAH TA’ALA, Inshaa-ALLAH , not only will we be rewarded for it, but our intention will help us maintain the necessary motivation to continue to do good.

►Work your Way up slowly

Aa’ishah (RadhiAllah Ta’alau Anha) reported that Rasulullah said: “Do good deeds properly, sincerely and moderately, and remember that you shall enter Paradise only through ALLAH TA’ALA’S Mercy, and also remember that the most beloved deed to ALLAH TA’ALA is that which is regular and constant even if it is little.” (Al-Bukhari)

The wisdom in this Hadith is tremendous and it is one way of keeping up good habits you have picked up in Ramadhaan.

For example, let’s say you were motivated to read Qur’aan Kareem for half-an-hour on a daily basis in Ramadhaan. But now that it’s over, you feel sluggish, lazy and want to give it up. Yet, you had wanted to maintain this habit after the blessed month was over.

Instead of trying to read Qur’aan Kareem for the same amount of time, reduce the time period to as much as you are initially able to do, even if it’s just ten or twenty minutes a day.

If you keep up this ‘ten minutes a day’ habit, Inshaa-ALLAH TA’ALA, you will see the amount of Qur’aan Kareem you read will increase slowly but gradually, perhaps even surpassing your Ramadhaan maximum in the long-term, Inshaa-ALLAH !

Beloved Reader! Be steadfast and upright upon the Deen of ALLAH TA’ALA at all times, for you do not know when you’ll meet the Angel of Death. Beware of him taking you while you are in a state of sin. Forgiveness are always billowing around us, but we must raise the sails of remorse and repentance, to feel it. Now is the time to reprogram your life, rise up and get rid of the negativities, develop your potential, plan and execute, change and get changed, and you will become one of those gain happiness and blessings in this life and enjoy the bliss of the Hereafter, Inshaa-ALLAH TA’ALA! Be sure that reform is possible, seek help from our loving ALLAH TA’ALA, and do not feel unmotivated or lacking in strength.

May ALLAH TA’ALA accept our fasting, our Ibaadah and other righteous actions, that our condition after Ramadhaan be a better one, the state of our Ummah improves and that we are granted honour and submit to HIS obedience. ..Aameen

Enjoy your Eid by remaining consistent on the those good deeds and keep away from undesirable things that are capable of removing ALLAH TA’ALA’S favours from you. One of our righteous predecessors said:

“Each day in which no act of disobedience to ALLAH TA’ALA is committed is Eid and each day a believer spent in acts of obedience to his Lord is Eid.”

A motivational story about sharing and caring during Eid

Ramadan was coming to an end soon and there were just a few days before Eid. I had to do some last-minute Eid shopping. I was around in a store. I saw a cashier hand this little boy his money back saying :“I’m sorry, but you don’t have enough money to buy this toy tea set.”

Then the little boy turned to the old woman next to him: ”Granny, are you sure I don’t have enough money?”

The old lady replied: ”You know that you don’t have enough money to buy this tea set, my dear.”

Then his granny asked him to stay there for 5 minutes while she went to look around. She left quickly.

The little boy was still holding the tea set in his hand. Finally, I walked towards him and I asked him who he wished to give this tea set to.

“It’s the teasetthat my sister loved most and wanted so much for this Eid. She was so sure that angels would bring it to her.”

I replied to him that may be Allah will send it to her after all, and not to worry.

But he replied to me sadly. “No, the angels can’t bring it to her where she is now. I have to give the teaset to my mommy so that she can give it to my sister when she goes there.”

His eyes were so sad while saying this. “My sister has gone to be with Allah. Daddy says that Mommy is going to see Allah very soon too, so I thought that she could take the tea set with her to give it to my sister.”

My heart nearly stopped. The little boy looked up at me and said: “I told daddy to tell mommy not to go yet. I need her to wait until I come back from the mall.”

“I love my mommy and I wish she doesn’t have to leave me, but daddy says that she has to go to be with my little sister “

Then he looked again at the tea set with sad eyes and very quietly I quickly reached for my wallet and said to the boy.

“What if we checked again, just in case you do have enough money?”

“OK” he said “I hope that I have enough.”

I added some of my money to his without him seeing and we started to count it. There was enough for tea set and even some spare money.

Then he looked at me and added “I asked yesterday before I slept for Allah to make sure I have enough money to buy this tea set so that mommy can give it to my sister. Allah heard me!”

“I also wanted to have enough money to buy a white rose for my mommy, but I didn’t dare to ask Allah for too much. But He gave me enough to buy the tea set and a white rose.”

“My mommy loves white roses.”

A few minutes later, his granny came again and I left with my basket.

I finished my shopping in a totally different state from when I started. I couldn’t get the little boy out of my mind. Only Allah knows what went through my mind.

Then I remembered a local newspaper article two days ago, which mentioned of a wealthy drunk man in a sporty car, who caused a fatal accident seriously injuring young mother and her little daughter.

The little girl died right on the scene of the accident and the mother was left in a critical state. The family had to decide whether to pull the plug on the life-assisting machine, because the young mum would not be able to recover from the coma.

Was this the family of the little boy?

Two days after this encounter with the little boy, I read in the newspaper that the young mother had passed away and the funeral would be held early this morning.

I couldn’t stop myself and I felt it my duty to go to the home where the body of the young woman was laying just before they were going to take it away for prayer and burial. Some ladies whom I recognized from our weekly Taalim Halqa were praying for the young lady.

She was there; wrapped in a white shroud, a beautiful white rose by her side and the same young boy I met earlier with the tea set against his chest.

I went close to the boy and then smiled at him and passed my hand over his head as I recalled the saying of the Messenger of Allah(peace be upon him): “Whoever caresses the head of an orphan (in affection), solely for the sake of Allah, a good deed will be written to his account for every hair over which he passed his hand, and whoever treated an orphan (boy or girl) with goodness and kindness, he and I will be close to each-other in Heaven as these two fingers”

I left the place, my eyes flowing with tears, feeling that my life had been changed forever. The love that this little boy had for his mother and his sister is still, to this day, hard to imagine. And in a fraction of a second, a drunk driver had taken all these precious persons away from him.

Tomorrow was Eid. Recalling the saying of the Messenger of Allah(peace be upon him): “Whoever supports an orphan from among his own or any other family, he will be as close to me in Heaven as these fingers are close to each other.” I quickly hurried to the store to purchase a beautiful gift for the young orphaned prince who thought me a great lesson of sharing and caring.

Every Eid since then I have made it my duty to honour this orphaned boy.

Moral: Eid is a time to share and care…let us not forget the poor,orphans and needy on this blessed day.

By Abdur Rahmaan Umar

“What! Are they crazy?” shouted Fatima, banging the knife on chopping board hard enough to scatter carrots in every direction and send the cat racing for the back door.

“What do they think? How can they possibly…” she sighed deeply, and raised the knife for another assault on the chopping board.

“Don’t they realise we have so much work to do? I mean who schedules a prize giving for the night before Eid.”

“But ma…that’s what Moulana(Sheikh) said today. That there definitely is a prize giving,” whispered Ahmed, cowering behind a chair in case another barrage of carrots was launched.

“Which Moulana? And why don’t they think!” she continued, pausing just long enough to heave another heavy sigh, “We have so much to do the night before Eid. Get the kids clothes ready, prepare the plates, layer the biryani…and…this year Eid is by us, so everyone from ninety nine kilometres around will be here. So is Moulana going to come layer the Biryani?”

“I think I must phone him. Now! He must cancel this madness,” she moaned, “Prize giving before Eid! My foot!”

“And who must be there? Must we all come?”

Ahmed lifted head just a little above the chair and said “Ja, ma. He said it’s for everybody. No one should be left out.”

“Well I’ll explain to him,” said Fatima, reaching for the cordless phone, “then maybe he’ll understand why some people…some people…like me just can’t be there. We have work, you know?”

Fatima began banging the numbers into the phone which let out loud beep with every painful prod.

“Gee, Moulana Yusuf!” she began, “What’s this about a prize giving the night before Eid? Whose crazy idea was this? Do you people know what the night of Eid is? We have so much to do?”

Without waiting for answers she continued, “I thought being a Muslim school you would think about us poor mothers who have to do EVERYTHING. I mean who decided that the school should have a prize giving the night before Eid? So whose grand idea was it?”

She sighed deeply and wiped the moisture collecting in her eye.

Moulana to advantage of the brief pause to squeeze in a word, “Sorry sister, but it wasn’t my idea.”

“Then who’s grand idea was this! Who decided this?” she shouted. The phone nearly slipping out of her hand.

“Allah’s idea,” came the almost inaudible reply.

“Moulana! If I didn’t have roza (fast) in my mouth I would have said such things that would have made your head spin in two directions. What has Allah got to do with the school timetable?” cried Fatima, her big frame collapsing into the nearest kitchen chair, accompanied by more deep sighs and a few moans.

“Sister, please listen to me,” said, Moulana taking advantage of the few second of silence, “There is a prize giving and it was at the request of Allah Ta’ala.”

Fatima straightened up in the chair and began to say something but Moulana continued, “As part of a lengthy Hadith in a book called Targheeb narrated by Ibn Abbas Radiallahu anhuma, the Noble Messenger Sallahu alaihi wasalam said that the night of Eidul Fitr is called Laylatul Jaa’izah – the night of prize giving. And in another Hadith narrated from Abu Hurairah Radiallahu anhu, Rasulallah Salallahu Alaihi wasalam mentioned that on the last night of Ramadaan Allah Ta’ala forgives the believers. The Companions Radiallahu Anhum enquired if that last night was Laylatul Qadr, and the Messenger replied “No, but it is only right that a servant should be given his reward on having completed his service.”

“So I explained to the children that just as they want to be honoured at the school prize giving and they work hard the whole year so they could get an award – Allah Ta’ala also rewards those servants of His who excelled during the months of Ramadaan and they are honoured with special awards for the Aghirah.”

“The the night before Eid,” continued Moulana Yusuf, “is a very important night and we should at least spend part of it in the worship of Allah. Despite all the other work we have, we should not lose the blessing of this night, because this is a such a night that who so ever remains awake on this night in the worship of his Lord, Allah, his heart will not die on the day when hearts will die?”

“What does that mean?” enquired Fatima now curious about this special night.

“On the day of Judgement when hearts will nearly die out of fear, this person will be free of such fear and anguish. Also, that person who remembers Allah is like a living person and the one who doesn’t is like a dead person. So to emphasise – this is a very important night that we often forget because we are too busy preparing for the next day or have already started celebrating Eid.”

Fatima stared at the pink slippers on her feet, “I’m sorry I shouted at you Moulana, but we just have so much pressure with Eid coming, there is so much to do. But I will have to make some time for Ibadat on this special night. But why didn’t Ahmed tell me this.”